1865.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
371 
water adjoining the rear of the market, a 
space of an equal length, and 50 feet or more in 
width, is occupied by the dealers for their fish- 
"cars," in which tlie fish are kept alive. These 
cars are boxes, about 10 x 12 feet, and three 
feet in depth, with their bottoms and sides 
made of slats for tlip free admission of wa- 
ter ; and are sunk by putting in stones until 
the tops only remain above water. When re- 
quired for use, the fish are scooped out into bask- 
ets with dip nets constructed for the purpose, 
and hoisted by tackles into the rear of the 
market, whence they are taken for sale or 
" trimming " to the stands in front. This 
operation, which commences as early as 3 
o'clock in the morning, in order that the re- 
tail markets and shops ma}' receive their sup- 
plies in season, is mostly over by noon, and 
comparative quiet reigns where a short time 
since there was great bustle and confusion. 
Large quantities of fresh fish are sent daily f;ir 
into the interior of the country, packed in close 
boxes between alternate layers of ice. In this 
way they are preserved in all their freshness, 
and appear as delicious upon the tables of 
our inland cities and towns, as at the seaboard. 
Fresh-water fish from the lakes and rivers are 
brought here to the market in the same manner, 
except in the winter, when ice is unnecessary. 
As a full account of sales is not kept by the 
leasers of the market, an accurate statement as 
to the number of pounds sold out from the 
wholesale market daily, or yearly, cannot be 
made. One of the superintendents of the market, 
having had long experience in the business, 
estimates the average daily sales at not less than 
50,000 lbs. Tlie 3-earIy cash receipts at the 
market, which are more easily ascertained, he 
placed, after a careful computation, at §2,000,000; 
and the amount received by independent dealers 
outside of the market at probably about ^.500,- 
000 more. This total of $3,.500,000 gives an 
average of $48,077 paid weekly in this city for 
fresh fish, not including shell fish. We can not 
now enter into a description of the different 
varieties of fish, which, with the manner of 
taking them, their comparative value in mar- 
ket, etc., may form themes for future articles. 
•-• -mm^ • » 
Sowing Eye Late in the Season. 
Winter rye, though not properly a biennial 
plant, nevertheless requires a portion of two 
seasons to come to perfection. To secure 
remunerative crops it is usually necessary to 
put in the seed early in autumn or very late, 
just before the ground freezes up. With this 
statement we think all who have mucji experi- 
ence will agree ; as also, to the statement that 
the rye most apt to winter-kill is that which 
being sown in the intermediate time (October or 
November,) makes only a small growth of either 
tops or roots before the ground freezes up. 
Even tills sometimes does very well, especially 
if a heavy fall of snow blankets it during the 
winter. However, when the seed is put in after 
the growing season has past, so that it will not 
germinate until the spring, winter-killing is en- 
tirely avoided of course, and at the same time 
that effect is produced, whatever it is, which 
makes winter rye sown in autumn, produce a 
crop, when the same sown in spring, and com- 
ing up at almost exactly the same time, would 
not. We have practised raising winter r3-e in 
this manner with tlie most satisfactory results. 
Plow the ground as late as possible in the sea- 
son before it freezes, harrowing in a thin top- 
dressmg of well-rotted barnyard manure, and 
sow the seed broadcast or in drills. The ma- 
nure should be as well rotted, or composted for 
r3'e, as for a crop of wheat. If the manure is 
rather coarse, better plow it under, as it will be 
more completely covered than if harrowed in, 
unless, indeed, you use a Share's harrow and go 
over the field twice before sowing. Wherever 
the ground is very wet, it should be underdrain- 
cd, if practicable. Otherwise let it be plowed, 
and the middle furrows cleaned out before seed- 
ing, as shown on page 342 (November). One of 
the best crops of r}-e that the writer ever saw 
was raised by sowing the seed in December, only 
one day previous to the falling of a deep snow 
which remained on the ground until the next 
spring. Soon after the snow disappeared, the 
r3'e came up, having suffered no injury from 
the freezing and thawing of the soil. 
This mode of raising rye can be followed 
with better success on wet land, than if the seed 
is sowed earl3' ; still, better crops can be raised 
by seeding with spring r3'e, if good seed can be 
procured. White winter r3"e and white spring 
rye can now be obtained in most of our large 
cities, at the seed stores. One and a half bush- 
els per acre is sufficient if distributed evenl3-, 
provided the seed is good and kernels small. 
If the kernels are unusually large, seven pecks 
wiU be none too much for one acre. * 
Cutting up Corn Stalks for Fodder. 
The advantages and disadvantages of feed- 
ing corn stalks chaffed or whole to stock may 
be thus stated. When the stalks are cut 
into pieces which sheep and cattle are able to 
take into their mouths and masticate, the}' will 
eat much more of the stalks than when not cut. 
Uncut stalks are in a very inconvenient condi- 
tion for feeding animals of any kind. There is 
considerable nourisliment in them after the 
leaves have been eaten off, which sheep and 
neat cattle lose, if the3' are not cut so that the3- 
can take them readily between their grinders. 
It is not necessary to cut stalks as short as 
some persons have recommended, in order to 
have animals eat them with avidity. For four- 
teen years the writer has been accustomed to 
cut all his corn stalks with a cutter driven b3' 
horse-power, and for several years some were 
cut about half an inch long, though for the most 
part two inches was the usual length unless 
they were very large, and to be fed to sheep. 
Neat cattle and horses will eat them quite as 
well when cut two inches as if half an inch 
long. And it is much safer to cut them two 
inches long than half an inch, because when 
short, hard pieces are often crowded endwise 
between the teeth of animals, and splinters of 
the hard coating, which is almost like glass for 
hardness, will wound the gums, making the 
mouths so sore that animals will sometimes 
suffer with hunger before they will venture to 
eat cut stalks. Moreover, it is highly probable 
that these short, flinty chips with thin sharp 
edges, injure the intestines. 
Jack-Screws— Various Uses, 
All are more or less familiar with the use 
of Jack-screws in raising buildings, and for 
other operations, where a strong lifting power 
is demanded. For ordinary farm use they 
are better used iu pairs than singl3-, because they 
stand so mucli firmer and are so much more 
easily adapted to the various purposes for which 
they are needed. We figure a pair of wooden 
ones of about the following dimensions: The 
extreme length is about 3 feet, the heads being 
8 inches long and of about the same thickness. 
The shafts are 4^ to 5 inches in diameter. The 
nut-block is of hard wood (maple or beach), 4 
feet long, 10 inches wide and 5 inches thick. 
The ends of the screws are round, that is hemi- 
spherical, and depressions about half an inch 
deep for them to turn in are made in the strong 31 
or 3-inch hardwood plank which rests upon the 
ground. Such a pair of screws maybe procured 
in most of our cities and large villages, at hard- 
ware stores or machine shops, or made to order. 
Such a pair of screws are much more con- 
JACK SCREWS. 
venient for raising a corner, side, or middle of a 
building, than one or more single screws could 
be, for, by placing them upon the ground, a strong 
plank or timber of any desired length, even 20 
feet or more, may be set on the nut-block, and 
thus the part over head may be raised without 
using an}- blocking for the screws to rest upon. 
By a little contrivance these screws may be used 
for raising large trees for transplanting, having 
balls of frozen earth encasing their roofs. They 
will be found equalh* convenient for lifting 
any rocks that a chain ma}- be put around, or 
logs too heav}' to be moved witli common levers. 
During the past season we have had several 
inquiries for a cheap and efficient stump-puller. 
Where great expedition is not required, a good 
pair of .Jack screws with a strong spar, a power- 
ful chain, and suitable blocking, are all that is 
necessary. The chain, which should be about 
10 to 12 feet long, may usualh' be obtained at 
hardware or fiirm-implement stores in our cities 
or large villages ; or second-hand chains, almost 
as good as new, may often be found at seaports, 
and if provided with hooks, they will answer 
an excellent purjjose. 
The manner of operating this stump-puller is, 
to dig under a large root of the stump, and 
f:isten the chain beneath the root and over the 
middle of the timber, which should rest on the 
top of the stump. The stick may be 14 or more 
feet long, and 8 or 10 inches in diameter. Then 
set the screws under one end and work them 
until the nut is run up to the heads. Next 
block up that end of the timber, and put the 
screws under the other. When a stump is firm- 
ly rooted, and starts hard, it ma3- be necessary 
to dig around and cut off some of the large roots, 
below the surface of the ground. Sometimes 
a few smart blows with a heav3- sledge against 
the sides of large roots will jar them loose, when 
the stump will rise with comparative ease. A 
blow downwards will often break a strong chain. 
An iron Jack screw working in a socket or 
square block, may be used in place of a pair of 
wooden ones, by flattening a portion of the 
under side of the ends of the limber. This 
stump-puller maybe easil3' worked by one man, 
who will be able to take out more stumps in a 
day, in proportion to the force employed, than 
could be extracted by a large machine requir- 
ing a team or two, and several Men to work it. 
